Greetings,
Yesterday approximately 25 people attended an open meeting at the North Regional library to announce my City Council candidacy.
I initially experienced technical difficulties in getting the projector to display the PowerPoint slideshow I presented, but otherwise the meeting was productive and very encouraging. 20 people (the rest were younger children) signed up to join the campaign! Another several dozen people - family, friends and associates - have verbally offered to help, so I’m on my way to mobilizing a “bus load of volunteers.” I understand that many people had conflicting schedules and others were not contacted soon enough to plan to attend. No problem. I can’t attend most meetings and events that interest me!
I must thank all of you who did show up yesterday for your early support. The majority of would be supporters will join the campaign much later as we get connected with everyone, but without the early supporters there could / would be no latter supporters. The viability of my campaign is dependent on a lot of campaign supporters! Gradually, we’ll organize a Northside Community Coalition that will not only get me elected, but collaborate with me when I’m in office to truly serve the interests of our community, inside of City Hall and in the community.
In terms of campaign messaging, I realized that although I have a great platform, I need to work on clarifying my vision for the 4th Ward by providing more specific ideas for realizing the community improvements I believe we need. I did explain that while I do have a holistic vision and many general ideas, I do not have a variety of detailed plans ready. As the 4th Ward City Council Member I will be representing the Camden area, not self-interests, so I will depend on, invite and welcome advice from the people who are impacted by the issues we address downtown. After being elected I will continue knocking on doors and communicating with as many constituents as I can reach, and all those who reach out to contact me, to identify our common values and to shape a community vision for the Northside that Northsiders create. As we enlist Northsiders in the Northside Community Coaltion I’m proposing with this campaign, we’ll identify the issues that matter to each member and consistently contact them going forward, as public policy and development project proposals come forth that need community input. I don’t know enough people personally to say with confidence exactly what the common ground in this diverse area is for a collective community vision, but I will seek and find out, then work hard and smart to meaningfully involve constituents in the planning and decision making needed to make good things happen over North!
The 4th Ward DFL Precinct Caucus is schedule on March 3rd and the Ward Convention on March 21st. I’ll be seeking the DFL endorsement. This process is new to me as a lifelong non-partisan, although I have voted Democrat 95% of the time in the past. I understand the strategic advantages of both joining an organized political party and defeating my opponent in this particular process. I realize that I’m an insurgent trying to unseat a deeply entrenched incumbent, but I’m not worried, because the endorsement will not decide the race and my opponent will not be able to out organize me. For the public record, regardless of the outcome, I intend to run for office until the November 3rd election day. We are confident that we will be victorious.
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This is the first web log (BLOG) entry I’ll write to publicly share my perspective of the campaign. During the course of this campaign there will be articles written and internet forum posts made about me that may be untrue nonsense. Contact me and, or read this blog to get the first-hand account.
Thx!
mh